Bowling alley



Feb. 28, `1933.

H, K. HEss BOWLING ALLEY Filed June 1S, 1951 2 Sheets-Shes?. l

' Wir/1 .s lf

Feb; '28, k1933. H K H555 1,899,442

l BOWLING ALLEY Filed June 15, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 jygbon l Per@ Feb-28,*193345 i 1,899;4421,

l or woLco'r'nsNEw Yeni:

' Y 'f p y Applicatiesfilenamef15,fi981..sena1ne;544,555., l Thisinvention relates to certainimproveablyy of, rubber orrubber compositionlto` Y ments yin bowlngalleysof-the classsetfjorth crease -its"frictional contact with the ball, f

in my pending application `Seriall\To'.j489,v982,`-`av and jthereby tofurther assure :a 4positive-rey filed OctoherQO, '1930,fin' thatitjisf'ofthe, turnidrlve of saidballl-f i i self-service'typefhaving anoutgoing runway i fAfurtherV object is to arrangeithe players 1:;

andan underlying. ,return :runway yfor f the .Stand'at'thelproximal end;ofthe outgoing ba115,-,t0gether withmeansffor deflecting ythey runway inlongitudinally spaced :relation ballsfrom the distal end'oftheuppererunvvay thereto in lsubstantially `the same horizontal 1 onto thereturn runway,andadditional means vpla'llel,andalso arrange thepin-supporting l@ forA deecting the balls 1.fromfthe :proximal platformlengthwise of-fandacrosssaid space; im

end of the return *runway ontov the pin-:sup- .ina plane below theupperfaces of the' players porting-tablev or platform fordisplacingtheStand. and upper"flllwa'y,but in verticallyV pins which may bestackedthereon.' f f spaced relation-to the lower runway toallow `yThejmainobject of the present invention is the ballstor'eturnjthereunder. v l 3 to increase Vthe general efficiency andrange @ther obJects anduSeS relating tOSpeclc 65 Vof usefulness of thekapparatus yshown in` my parts ofthe inventloll willxbe -bl'Ollgllt01111 n pending application, andfatjthe'same ltimethe.-followlngdescrlption *f y to reduce *to`r a minimumV thevibrationand. Ilift'he ydrawings 1 y y e Y y noise! incidental Vto theyopera'tionfof` the Flgllrellsra top planofthe bowling'` alley Y f opower-driven driving member kfor mpelling 'yembOdyIl'gtheVarOllSfea'llleS Ofmy llVIlj. v70. 1

'MQ' with fa resilient peripheral covering,` preferingframe 3 andk maybemade of any suit- I the balls along the returnf runwaybylsuption. Y; y Ai i i l porting the rotaryimpellerandmotor upon Q F igure-2V 'isv a sideelevation 0f the same.- bearings independently ofthelrunwaysfa'ndFigures 3 and 4 areenlarged transverse y their Supports., s l K verticalsectional views takenzrespectiyely in One of the specific objects'is't'omake the rthe planes 0f lIlS 3-'3 and 1 -4, Figure 1! f 75 l apparatusin "sectionalglengthwise units? so 'Figure 5` iSaIlenlarged*,fragmentarylllf that the length` ofthe runwaysfmayjbe infgitudinal vertical sectional viewytaken inV Vcreased or diminished'according `to: thespace thev plane of line V5*-5, Figure l. Y

available for the installation of saidfunits or Figure 6isan-enlargedydetail Vetrical sec.-

"fi according to vthewishesV offthose installing tional view taken intheplane of line (S+-6,

Y suchapparatus. y 1j f f s Figure 4:.` `f Y f y v z s In other rwordsyIhavesoughtftomakefthe Figure '7 isV a. detail vertical sectional' Viewdevice in various sizes for installationin ,pri-frv taken" in' the planeoffline 7V-*75. Figure 6.y

` vate houses and clubrooms, 4as"y well, as' in LFigure'Sis. anenlargeddetail vertical secpublie halls. Y L 5 tional view takeninthe'planevof-.line 8458,78

Another object isi tof-normally support the*v Figure l, showing {one ofthe pin-centering impeller in such mannerk thatk its lower iface devicesand a portion of theilower end `of one will be disposeda ,distancelabovethedistal of 'the`fpins, partly in'section, in operative-- end ofthe return runway'slightly lessltthan positionon the pin-supportingplatform. y the diameter of'theball to frictionally engage lFigure 9fis' a diagrammatic viewy of the ythe latter and-thereby to impel` thesame to "electric wiring system for controlling the op`r the proximalend and return to thepin-superation of the pin-'centering studs. l vporting table with sufficient force to displace Figure 10Vis adetailsec'tional view 'sims the pins, and at the Sametime to allow alim-.ilar to Figure 8, showing fa modified means ited verticalV movement .ofthe impeller for operatingthe pin-centering studs. against the action ofcompression springs'toy so vAs illustrated; this apparatus comprises Yassure itscontact with the upper face ofthe an upper outgoing runway 1and a' lower or K l hall. f f `f o underlying return runway 2, both ofwhich Another objectisto provide'the impelle'r are mountedin and uponasuitable support-k able length and width depending somewhat upon thesize of the room or hall in which of both runways will besubstantiallyequal to' that commonly employed insuch places. The upperrunway 1 is disposed vin a subrelation tothe upper runway and extendsfrom the vertical plane of the distal end thereof some distancebeyondthe proximal end and is preferably slightly inclined down- 'wardly fromlits distal end to its proximal,

end to assist in the returntravel'oftheballs from the distal end to theapparatus. y Y e Y vA buHer block 4 forminga Vpart 4of the"main-supporting frame is extended i across' vthe distal ,ends ofthe'runways 1 and 2andv is provided with 'a concave substantiallysemi-circular deflecting face 5 having its upper edge overlying therearend ofthe upper runway 1 in vertically spaced relation theretosuflicient'to allow the ball to pass through the intervening space. y

The lower edge of the same -vdeflecting surface is substantiallyco-'incident withthe upper surface of the distal end of @the lowerrunway-f2, said deiiecting surface" being spaced from therear end of theupper runway 1 a distancensullic'ient to allowzrthe ball to passtherethrough, as shown more clearly in Figure 5.

An additional buffer blocll: Giforming a part of the main supportingframe 'extends across the proximal end of the apparatus and is providedwith a concave substantially semicircular delecting surface 7 having itslower edge substantially coincident with the upper ysurface oftheproximal end of the lower runway 2 and its upper edge disposed in aboutthe same horizontal plane as, but in longitudinally spaced relation to,the proximal end of the kupper runway 1".` Y 1 The distance between thelower'andv upper yrunways v1 and 2 is somewhat greater than the combineddiameters of the balls #zz-,-

A and impeller drum presently described, to .affordample space for thereturn of the ball,

shown by dotted lines in Figure 5, .along `the lower runway 2 and belowthe impeller drum.

The bowling pins as -t, shown by dotted lines in Figure 5, are adaptedto be the proximal end. of..

somewhat greater than the diameter of the ball -ato allow free passageof the ball through the intervening space, said platform being alsodisposed in vertically spaced relation to and below the level of theupper runway 1 a distance corresponding approximately to the height ofthe bowling pins -bwhen the latter are stacked in an upright poy `sitionthereon, as shown by dotted lines in stantially horizontal plane, whiletheV lower runway 2 is arranged in` vertically spaced Figure 5.'

Theupper surface of the defiector block 6 `I same horizontal planeasithe upper surface of the runway 1 so that the player'on the stand 6must throw the ball Vv to .the-upper runway 1 and therefore across vtheintervening space between said runway; and players stand, or ratheracrossthe upper surface, ofthe platform Sandupper ends of the bowlingpins thereon.

1 It will be noted, however, that the length of this space isrelativel-yshort as compared with the length of the upper runway, orjust sufficient. to permit proper stacking of the bowlingxpins .-b-uponthe platform and within said space. I Y

The purpose in arranging the platform 8 in aplanebelow the upper surfaceof and betweenlthe players stand 6 and proximal end of the upper runwayis to enable the player to witness Vthe effect of each play of the ballupon the pins while facing the distal end of the apparatus or inthefdirection of throW of the ball, and therebyvto obviate the necessityof turning around to witnesssuch plays asin my prior application,referred to.

The upper edge of the proximal deflector block 6 voverhangs the adjacentend of the platformS invertically spaced relation thereto somewhatgreater than the diameter of the ball to allow the. ball 'toY passtherethrough when returned along the lower runway 2 and deflectedupwardly and rearwardly by the defiecting surface 7. i i It will beobserved upon reference to Figure 5 that when the bowling pinsl -barestacked `upon the platform 8, the upper ends willl be disposed in aplane slightly below that of the upper surfaces of the players standiandrunway 1 so that the ball may be thrown across the intervening spacewithout liability of hitting the upper ends of the bowling pins.

.The distal end ofthe platform 8 extends some distance beyond theproximal end of the upperrunway 1 and is provided with a buffer late 9'for `limiting the rearward movement ofthe bowling pins -bwhen thelatter are displaced from their stacked positions by the'operationof theball, in a manner hereinafter described. it being understood that theATspace'between the rear end of the platform 8 and overhanging portionof the upper run` way 1 forms a pocketf9ffor receiving the displacedbowlingpins Vb-r l y An'. additional players Astand 10 vis placedl inoperative position closely/*adjacent the lfront fend of the stand 6 withits upper surfaceco-k support, not shown.

A 'storageshelf 12 is' preferably secured to the outer side of theframe3 adjacent the 'step` 11y and corresponding side of v the l' playersstand 6 andis provided with a series of rholes 13 for vreceiving fandsupporting the lower tapered ends of the bowling pins J7- when notinuse.Y -V Suitable power-drivenv means is provided for 'engaging and rollingthe ball af alongy vandupon the lower runway'V from the distal'end tothe proximal endrthereof ywith sufficient force to cause it totravelupwardly along the delecting surface 7 upon the` platform 8 fordisplacing the bowling pins from their upright positions. n l This meansconsists, in this instance,lof a rotary drum 14 mounted upon a shaft 15and extended across the intervening space between thefdistal ends of theupper and lower runr ways, as 'shown more fclearly? in Figures 4 and. pke, n

This'drum or impeller is.'A disposed in such manner that its lower facewill be normally spaced from the -underlyinggupper l'face v'of' thelower runway 2 a distance slightly less than the diameter of the -ball`-a--`, so vthat e when the latter is deflected from the rear end oftheupper runway onto the underlying Y end of the Ilower runway,the 'lowerface of the periphery of thedrum 14will frictionally engagethe'upperface of the ball and thereby propel said Vball lwithconsiderable force forwardly along the 4lower runway'f-and upf wardlyalong the deflector surface? onto the proximal end of'the'platform 8=fordisplac `v ing the pins.y n E Y The duim is preferablyfprovided with akperipheral sleeve or covering 14 of relatively soft rubberV ,orequivalent lresilient material extending throughout the lengththereoffor increasing its frictionwiththe surface of the ball and at theySametime compensating for any slight shortageof the distance be-V ftween the lower face of the drum and upper kface, of theunderlying'portion of the lower runway. f e

The opposite endsofthe shaft 15`of the drum 14 areextendedfthroughvertically elongated openings 16 in theopposite uprightside walls ofthe main frame 3 andarci" provided with sleeves 17 whichare journaled in horizontally splitbearngs 18 havingl their lowerysections 19 rigidly secured by yloolts 20 to suitable supportingstandards 21,

as nshown more clearly in igures'4, 6'and 7. The upper bearmg sections19 are movable vertically Vrelatively to the lower sections 19 and areguided intheir vertical movement by` guide bolts 22 which are -passedthrough registering aperturesinthe lower and upper` bearing sections 19and 19, as shown :more clearly in Figure 6, and are provided at thelrlower ends with headsv 22 engaging; the

undersides of the lowerhearings 19, said n bolts being extended upwardlysome distance above thekuppeznbearings 19 and are pro-L vided at theirupp'erends with adjustable nuts` 23 in'rspaced relationto the upperbeary ings. i l ,l The upwardly projectingends of the bolts y22 aresurrounded by compression springs` 24 having th-eir lower endsengagedwith the upper bearings `19 and their upper ends'en-k gaged withthev lower "nuts 23 for exerting downward rpressure uponitheupperbearing n 19jand at theV same time permitting limited upwardmovement of the drum 14 and upper bearings 19 in case the drum should heslight-V ly elevated by the impinging of its periphery with the ball-awhen the latter is passing thereunder, or during the return ofthe Yballby the propeller along the lowerrunway See'Fi'gure 6.'

vertical movement of the ybearing member? 19 with yandyagainst theactionof the springs f are deflected from the distal end-of the upper runwayonto the corresponding end' ofthe lower runway and at tlie'sameftime toco1npensate for slight variations in the 'diameter of the balls -a-'.x f

The` drum or impeller 14 is adapted be rotated yin the directionindicated by arrow l y, 10ov In otherl words the purpose of thisrelative a2- Figure 5, at a relativelyihigh:speedfork r propellingtheballf-a from the distalfend forwardly onto the platform 8-with forceto vdisplace the lpins y e videdwith a pulley 25 connected by a belt 26to another kpulley 27 on the shaft of an1electric V*motor 28, as .shownmore clearly yinV Figures 4v and 5.

The motor 28 is enclosed in a suitable hou's#` l y y suflicient f` Forthis latter purpose oney end,preferably the right hand end,4 of theshaft l5 is pro,-

vibrations of the motor to the supporting frame 3 for the runways l and2, it being understood that under these conditions the belt 26, Figure5, will pass through `a suitable opening 29 in alined portions of thedefiector block 4, as shown more clearly in Figure 4.

It will be noted upon reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4 that ythedrum-supporting standards 21 are secured by bolts 3l or equivalentfastening means to the floor upon which the frame 3 is mounted, butindependently of said frame so as toreduce to a minimum the transmissionof vibrations or other movements of the drum to' said frame, due tothefact that the openings l6through which the bearing members 17 extend aresufliciently large to prevent contact of said bearing members. with anypart of the supporting frame 3. v Y

The upper bearing members 19 are held against lateral displacement byguide-plates 32 which are secured by screws 33 or equivalent fasteningmeans to the outer side faces of said upper bearing member` 19 to extenddownwardly in over-lapping relation to the outer faces of the lowerbearing members 19, the upper inner portions of the standards 21 beingprovided with recesses 34 in which the guide-plates 32 are movable asthe drum 14 and bearing member 19 are moved Vvertically during thedriving operation of the ball a. (See Figs. 4 andp7.)

The main frame 3 and runways 1 and 2 are preferably divided at 35intermediatev their ends to form separate lengthwise sections and, ifdesired, they may be spaced longitudinally and anothersection interposedwhen it is desired to increase the length of the bowling alley, saidsections being firmly clamped together end to end by ,clamping plates 36which are secured to the outer faces of the upright side walls Vof theadj acent ends of the sections by bolts 37 or equivalentreleasableclamping means.

The upright side walls of the main frame 3 are provided with lower andupper rails 38 and 39 which yare arranged in vertically spaced parallelrelation to form an intervening space 4() extending nearly the fulllength of the upper runway 1 thus permitting access to the lower runwayto remove any ball which may fail to return to the proximal end of thebowling alley.

For a similar purpose one of 'the upright sidewalls, in this instancethe left hand side, is provided with a lengthwise opening A41 in a planebelowthe pin-supporting platform 8 and having its forward end enlargedat 41 to permit the removal of the ball by hand in case the lattershould-fail to return to the proximal deflector block 6.

The lower and upper rails 38 `and 39 project upwardly a limited distanceabove Vtheir respective runways 1 and 2 toprevent lateral displacement'of the played ball from said runways.

The front end of the layers stand 10 is provided with an upward yprojecting guardrail 10 to reduce the liability of accident to theplayer by stepping o'from that end of the stand. Y

.The upper bearing members 19 are provided with suitable oil ducts 44leading from adjacent bearings 17 to suitable oil cups 45 as shown moreclearly in Figure 6.

Suitable means is provided for centering the bowling pins b in properrelation upon the supporting platform 8 and for this purpose ytheplatform is providedwith a plurality of, in vthis instance ten verticalopenings 46, one for each of the bowling pins 7) forreceiving acorresponding number of centeringstuds 47 which are adapted to entersockets b in the lower ends of the pins and, as shown in Figure 8, areautomatically forced upwardly into said sockets by springs 48,*b`ut areadapted to be drawn downwardly by electro-magnets 49, the latter beingincorporated in the platform 8.

Under this construction, however, it will be necessary to have theseveral magnets energized during the playing operation, which, ofcourse, is'of longer duration than the operation of restacking lthe pinsupon the platform, and it would, therefore, be preferable to providemeans whereby the centering studs will be moved to their operativepositions only during the restacking operation, and in Fig. 10 I haveshown a preferred construction for accmplishin g the latter result.

Thus, in Fig. 10 l have shown each centering stud-47 as movable in thevertical opening 46 and adaptedto drop to its inoperative position underits own vweight when the electro-magnet 49 is de-energized, therebyomitting the-spring 48, shown in Figure 8.

In both of these devices, however, the centering studs 47 are providedwith pendant armatures or plungers 50, each of which, together with itscorresponding electromagnet 49, constitutes a solenoid.

In Figure 8 the plunger 50 and its center stud 47 is arranged to bedrawn downwardly by the 'energizing of the magnet 49 for withdrawing thestud from its operative position, but in Figure 10 the plunger isarranged to be drawn upwardly by the energizing of its electro-magnet 49for moving the center stud to its operative position during theoperation .of stacking the bowling pins upon the platform 8, therebyassuring the proper position of said pins ready for the player; In bothmodifications shown in Figures 8 and 10 the windings of theelectro-magnets will be connected, preferably in parallel, in anoperating circuit` 51 deriving current from a suitable source ofelectric energy such as a battery B, Fig. 9, said circuit being providedwith an electric switch 52 normally opened llO by"a` spring 53, butadaptedtobe closed atthe will of the operator for simultaneouslyenergizing all of the magnets 49.

The ymovable memberofzthe switch 52 .preferably mounted upon ,one side,in this in-v stance thel leftl hand side ofthe frame Sclosely adjacentthe platform 8 where it may be operated by hand or by the knee oftheplayer when restaclring the bowling pins'.

Operation f Assuming that the bowling kpins b are stacked upon theplatform 12, then the player lstanding upon the iioor adjacent theplatform 8 and storage shelf 12 will Vlirst close k,the switch 52 byhand or `bythe kneeto raise all of the central plungers 47 which willbeheld in their raised positions aslong as the switch 52`is closed andduring which` the bowling pins b will be taken from the shelf v12 and`placed upon the platform'S with the pins 47 engaged in the sockets b ofthe corresponding bowling pins. l v

When the bowling pins are properly setthe switch k52 is allowed toopenjby the action of its retracting spring 53 thus permittingthecentering studs 47 to drop below the .upper surface of the platform 8.

With the ball in hand the player then takes his position upon the stand10 lwith onefoot upon the portion 6 and aftery visually selecte 'Y ing apoint in the distal deflector block 4 to f which ythe ball is to bedirected to make` the proper play, throws the ball across theintervening space between the stand 6' and upjper runwayl toy cause theball to vtravel along said runway to thedistal endthereof where it isdeiiected downwardly and forwardly by the deflecting surface 5 onto therear end of thelower runway 2. c.

The impeller drum 14 being rotated in the direction indicated by arrow Xwill thenl enf gage the upper face of the ball and roll the sameforwardly along the runway 2 with suficient force to` cause it to returnupwardly and forwardly along the proximal deflector surface 7 and on tothe platform 8 for displacing the bowling pins, thus completing one playwhich may be repeated until all of the pins are displaced. ,Y It will beobserved that the axis of rotation ofthe drum 14 is carefully placed'atright angles to the center lines of both run-4 ways 1 and l2 so thatwhen the ball is directed alongthe upper runway to any par'- ticularpoint of the distaldeiiector block 4 it will engage the underside Vofthedrum 14 at a point in substantially'k the same Avertical `plane asthatselectedby the player on the deiiector block 4, thus causing theimpeller drum 14 to impel the ball along the lower runway and upon thepin-supporting, platform 8 in thefsame longitudinal vertical' planepreviously selected.

` In this manner the accuracy of the play willldefpend entirely .uponlthe `accuracy of throw ofthe bally to .the pointselected intherdistal,deflector block;l

' It is also evident that the player and restaclr-the bowlingpins fromthe stands lO'and-, thereby dispensing :with the serv-f i365 0f apin-boy and correspondingly reducing lthe dangers incidentalk yto theoperationv ofl the/displaced bowling pins. v

Y Thus, tlieeplaying Yofjthe ball ,along Upper runway and thek action ofthe ballupon the bowlingpins arefvisible 'to the player'-v the*fronia-'playing position,` and -fowingto the fact that the returnedexposed ballsandidisf placed pins alwaysmove rearwardly away `from theplayer, reducesto a minimum they dangerincidental to such operations.

It is evident, however,that somechanges maybeV made inthe constructionofthe apy paratus without this invention.

What I claim is departing-from the spirit yof 1. In a bowling alley, anoutgoing runway 'f c and an underlying return runway, means fordeiiecting the ball from the distal end ofthe upper runway onto theadjacent Vend ofthe s llower runway, and a rotary impeller arranged toengagethe upper face of the downwardly along the return runway, andmeans for supporting the l impeller independently of both runways.

3. Ina bowling alley, an outgoing runway and an underlying returnrunway, means for deiectingthe ball from the distal end ofthe upperrunway' onto the adjacent end of the' lower runway, and a rotaryimpelller ar'- ranged to engage the upper face of the downwardly,deiiected ball for impellingsaid `ball along thereturn runway, saidimpeller being spring-pressed downwardly to cause it to fric# tionallyengage the ball and to permit it to move upwardly by the ball as thelatter passes Y between'the impeller and lower runway.;

4. A bowling Valleyy composed of' sections arranged end to end, andreleasable means `for holding said sections 1n operative relation, saidalley having an outgoing upper l runway and an underlying` returnrunway,`

lower runway a pin supporting platform yat `means at the distal endofthe upper runway for deflecting ythe ballr therefrom onto the mal endof the lower runway ontosaid plat-p'` form'for displacing thep'ins,

5. ,In a bowling alley, "a krunway for the 1.2.5 the proximal end of theupper runway, and

means 'for deiiecting the ballfrom the proxiballs, and a power-drivenrotary impeller for Vfri'c'nionally engaging the upper side of the ballsand propelling the same along said runway. y 5 `V6. In a bowling alley,-a runway for the balls, and a power-driven rotary impeller for'frictionally engaging the upper side of the balls and propelling thesame along said run= way, and means for'supporting said impeller 10independently of the runwayV to reduce the' liability of transmission ofvibration of said imnreller to the runway.

Witness whereof-I have hereunto set my 'y hand JChis 5th day of June1931. 15 V HENRY K. HESS

